Safety support for brake beams



T. J. SWEGER 3,094,196

SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE BEAMS June 18, 1963 Filed June 25, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \NVENTOE- THEODORE J. SWEGER WBY HTTY.

June 18, 1963 T. J. SWEGER 3,09

SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE BEAMS Filed June 25, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \NvaN-roa FIG. 7 THEODORE J. SWEGER ATTY.

United States Patent 3,094,196 SAFETY SUPPORT FOR BRAKE BEAMS Theodore J. Sweger, Riverdale, Ill., assignor to Illinois Rililway Equipment Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of 11 inois Filed July 25, 1962, Ser. No. 204,996 8 Claims. (Cl. 188-210) This invention relates,generally, to the construction of railway car trucks provided with hangerless brake beams and it has particular relation to safety supports therefor.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide for supporting the ends of a hangerless brake beam in the event that they should become disengaged from the slots in the side frames in which they are slidably mounted; to provide the support in the form of a ledge extending laterally from each side frame toward the other side frame in spaced relation below each brake beam receiving slot; to form the ledge as an integral part of a wear plate in the slot; to provide for supporting the ledge through the use of bracket means also formed integrally with the wear plate and arnanged and adapted to bear against the underside of the portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot; to provide a blank from which the wear plate in U-shaped configuration can be formed together with the integral extension providing the ledge and bracing brackets therefor by suitably pressing the various parts; to provide the ledge as a part of an angle shaped member secured, as by welding, to the underside of the portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot; and to form the ledge as an integral part of each side frame casting in the form of an angle shaped member with one arm constituting an integral extension of the outer portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot and the other arm providing a shelf for receiving the respective end of the brake beam on disengagement from its slot.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view, generally horizontal, and taken along the lines 1--1 of FIG. 2 and 11 of FIG. 3 to show a portion of a side frame of conventional construction provided with a generallylongitudinally extending slot for slidably receiving one end of a hangerless type brake beam which is shown in broken line outline together with a portion of the adjacent wheel of the railway car truck.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view looking generally along the line 22 of FIG. 1, it being understood that the brake beam and pants mounted thereon together with a portion of the wheel are shown in broken line outline.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, generally vertical, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, but it shows how one end of the brake beam may become disengaged from the slot in the car side frame in which it normally is mounted.

FIG. 5 'is a perspective view, looking generally from the rear, of a pressing in which the present invention is embodied.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pressing shown in FIG. 5, this view being taken generally from the front.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank from which the pressing shown in 'FIGS. 5 and 6 can be formed.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view which is taken with respect to FIG. 2 in the same manner that FIG. 3 is taken and shows a modified construction.

FIG. 9 is a view, similar to FIG. 8, and shows still another modified construction.

' Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings,

3,094,196 Patented June 18, 1963 "Ice v it will be observed that the reference character 10 designates, generally, a portion of a railway car truck which comprises a pair of cast side frames a portion of one of which is indicated, generally, at 11. It will be understood that the railway car truck, a portion of which is shown at 10, includes four wheels mounted on axles, a portion of one of the wheels being shown at 12 in broken line outline. Individual to each Wheel 12 is a brake head and shoe assembly, shown generally at 13, and carried, in conventional manner, on .a brake beam 14. The brake head and shoe assembly 13 and the portion of the brake beam 14 are shown in broken line outline .in FIG. 1 and other figures in order to illustrate the features of the invention more clearly. It will be understood that there are two brake beams 14 and that there are four brake head and shoe assemblies 13, one for each of the wheels a portion of one of which is indicated at 12.

In accordance with conventional practice each end of the brake beam 14, one being indicated at 15, slidably mounted in a slot, one being indicated at 16, in the adjacent portion of the respective side frame 11. As shown in FIG. 2, each slot 16, extends generally longitudinally of the car side frame 11 and is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal in accordance with conventional practice. It will be understood that suitable means (not shown) are provided for moving the brake beams, such as the brake beam 14, to move the respective brake head and shoe assembly 13 into and out of braking engagement with the respective wheel 12 in the course of the application of the braking action.

It will be noted that the slot 16 is formed in the side frame 11 'by an upper side wall 117 having spaced therebelow a lower side wall 18 and interconnected by a bottom wall 19. Lining the inner surfaces of the walls 17, 18 and 19 is a U-shaped wear plate section that is indicated, generally, at 20. It includes an upper side 21, a lower side 22 and a bottom 23 and is formed of wear resisting metal to accommodate the sliding movement of the end 15 of the brake beam 14 therein during its operation in applying and removing the brakes.

It will be understood that the two side frames, at portion of one which is shown at 1 1, normally are in predetermined spaced relation with the slots 16 facing each other and with the ends of the brake beam 14, such as the end 15, slidably mounted therein. As long as this condition exists, no particular problem is involved. However, as a result of continued use and wear of the various parts, it is likely that the side frames will spread apart to such an extent that the end 15 or both of the ends of the brake beam 14 will become disengaged from the respective slot 16. When this occurs, one or both ends of the brake beam 14 are likely to drop down sufficiently far as to strike a portion of the road bed and possibly cause derailment of the associated railway car truck. It is to the prevention of such action as the result of dis engagement of the end 15 of the brake beam 14 from the slot 16 that the present invention is particularly addressed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention the U-shaped wear plate section 20 is provided with an integral depending section 26 which constitutes an extension of the lower side 22 and from this a support section 27 laterally extends for the purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, of receiving the end 15 of the brake beam 14 in the event that it should become disengaged 7 from the slot 16 or from the U-shaped wear plate section 20. In order to enable the support section 27 to resist the downward force exerted thereon by the end 15 of the brake beam 14 a bracket 28 is provided in the form of a flange which constitutes an integral extension of the depending section 26 and support section 27. The

construction is shown more clearly in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings where it will be observed that the bracket 28 has an upper edge 29 which is arranged to be juxtaposed to the underside 30 of the lower side wall 18, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, in order to provide a cantilever support for the support section 27.

At the other end of the support section 27 a bracket 31 is formed integrally therewith and constitutes an integral extension thereof. The bracket 31, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, includes a section 32 which overlies the rear surface of the depending section 26 and also includes a rearwardly extending section 33 the upper edge 34 of which, like the upper edge 29 of the bracket 28, is arranged to be juxtaposed to the underside 30 of the lower side wall 18, FIGS. 3 and 4, in order to provide additional cantilever support for the support section 27.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the U-shaped wear plate section 20 together with the depending section 26, support section 27 and brackets 28 and 31 constitute an integral pressing that is indicated, generally, at 36. The pressing 36 can be formed from a flat blank, shown generally at 37 in FIG. 7, of suitable wear resisting material.

The blank 37, FIG. 7, from which the pressing 36 is formed, includes a bend area 38 between a flange 39 and the upper side 21 of the U-shaped wear plate section 20.

As shown in FIG. 4 the flange 39 is arranged to overlie the outer end of the upper side wall 17. Bend areas 40-40 are provided along the opposite sides of the portion of the blank 37 which ultimately forms the bottom 23 to permit the movement of the portions which correspond to the upper side 21 and lower side 22 to be bent to provide the U-shaped configuration. A bend area 41 is provided along one side of the portion of the blank 37 that forms the lower side 22 to permit vformation of the flange 42 which, as shown in FIG. 4, overlies the outer end of the lower side wall 18. A bend area 43 between the portion of the blank 37 which forms the depending section 26 and the portion that forms the support section 27 permits the latter to be bent outwardly of the former.

A slot 44 between the flange 42 and the upper edge 29 of the bracket 28 is formed in order to permit the latter to be bent along the bend area 45 so as to extend rearwardly and downwardly from the depending section 26 and support section 27. A slot 46 is formed between the lower side 22 and section 26 area 49 permits the section 33 to be bent rearwardly from the section 32 so that its upper edge 34 can underlie the underside 30 of the lower side wall 18.

The pressing 36, formed by suitable pressing operations from the blank 37, can be inserted readily in the side frame 11 by inserting the wear plate section 20 into the slot 16 so as to provide the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1, .2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. Any suitable means can be provided for securing the U-shaped wear plate section 20 against disengagement from the walls of the slot 16.

FIG. 8 shows one modification of the invention. Here it will be observed that only the U-shaped wear plate section 20 is employed. Instead of providing the integral depending section 26, support section 27 and brackets 28 and 31, an angle shaped member 52 is provided. It may be in the form of a metal pressing and it has one arm 53 depending from the underside 30 of the lower side wall 18 while another arm 54 extends laterally there from in spaced relation below the plate 20 to provide a shelf for receiving the end 15 of the brake beam 14 should it become disengaged from the plate 20 in the manner previously described. Angle shaped end members, one being shown at 55, are formed integrally with the ends of the arms 53 and 54 and they are welded at 56 to the underside 30 of the lower side wall 18.

FIG. 9 shows a still further modification in which an angle shaped member, indicated generally at 59, is employed. Here it will be observed that one arm 60 of the angle shaped member 59 is cast integrally with the outer edge of the lower side Wall 18 and depends therefrom while another arm 61 is cast integrally with the arm 60 along its lower edge to provide a shelf for receiving the end 15 of the brake beam 14 should it be disengaged from the slot 20 in the manner previously described. A reinforcing rib 62 can be cast integrally with the lower side wall 18 and with the arms 60 and 61 to rigidify the construction.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a railway car truck comprising:

(a) a pair of side frames,

(b) railway wheel axles journaled in said side frames,

(0) each side frame having a generally lengthwise extending slot opposite a corresponding slot in the other side frame, and

(d) a brake beam slidably mounted at its ends in opposite slots and carrying adjacent each end a brake head and shoe assembly for braking engagement with an adjacent wheel,

(2) said side frames being normally spaced apart a predetermined distance and likely to spread apart and increase the distance therebetween whereupon one of the ends of said brake beam disengages its slot,

(f) the improvement which comprises:

(g) ledge means carried by and extending laterally from each side frame toward the other side frame in spaced relation below each brake beam receiving slot for receiving and supporting the respective end of said brake beam on disengagement from its slot, said ledge means being in the form of an integral extension of a wear plate overlying the lower side of each brake beam receiving slot.

2. The invention, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the integral extension includes integral bracket means overlying and bearing against the underside of the portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot and acting to brace said extension thereagainst to support it against the downward force exerted thereon by the disengaged end of the brake beam.

3. The invention, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the wear plate, the brake beam end receiving extension, and the bracket means comprise a pressing formed from a suitably shaped blank.

4. The invent-ion, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ledge means is in the form of an angle shaped member having one arm secured to the underside of the portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot and the other arm providing a shelf for receiving the respective end of the brake beam on disengagement from its slot.

5. The invention, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the ledge means is in the form of an angle shaped member having one arm as an integral eXtenSiPn 0f the outer portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot and the other arm providing a shelf for receiving the respective end of the brake beam on disengagement from its slot.

6. A pressing forming a liner for a lengthwise extending slot in a railway car side frame for receiving one end of a brake beam and providing a safety support therefor comprising:

(a) a U-shaped wear plate section arranged and adapted to conform to the upper and lower sides and the bottom of said slot,

(b) a section depending from the outer edge of the lower side of said U-shaped wear plate section for overlying the portion of the side irame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot, and

(c) a support section extending laterally from the lower part of said depending section and providing the safety support for the end of the brake beam on its disengagement from said U-sha-ped wear plate section.

7. The invention, as set forth in claim 6, wherein at least one end of the support section has a bracket section extending therefrom in spaced relation to the underside of the lower side of the U-shaped wear plate section for earing against the underside of the portion of the side frame providing the lower side of the brake beam receiving slot.

8. The invention, as set forth in claim 7, wherein there is a bracket section at each end of the support section with one bracket section for-med integrally with the depending section and the other bracket section overlying a portion of said depending section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR TRUCK COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF SIDE FRAMES, (B) RAILWAY WHEEL AXLES JOURNALED IN SAID SIDE FRAMES, (C) EACH SIDE FRAME HAVING A GENERALLY LENGTHWISE EXTENDING SLOT OPPOSITE A CORRESPONDING SLOT IN THE OTHER SIDE FRAME, AND (D) A BRAKE BEAM SLIDABLY MOUNTED AT ITS ENDS IN OPPOSITE SLOTS AND CARRYING ADJACENT EACH END A BRAKE HEAD AND SHOE ASSEMBLY FOR BRAKING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ADJACENT WHEEL, (E) SAID SIDE FRAMES BEING NORMALLY SPACED APART A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND LIKELY TO SPREAD APART AND INCREASE THE DISTANCE THEREBETWEEN WHEREUPON ONE OF THE ENDS OF SAID BRAKE BEAM DISENGAGES ITS SLOTS, (F) THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: (G) LEDGE MEANS CARRIED BY AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM EACH SIDE FRAME TOWARD THE OTHER SIDE FRAME IN SPACED RELATION BELOW EACH BRAKE BEAM RECEIVING SLOT FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING THE RESPECTIVE END OF SAID BRAKE BEAM ON DISENGAGEMENT FROM ITS SLOT, SAID LEDGE MEANS BEING IN THE FORM OF AN INTEGRAL EXTENSION OF A WEAR PLATE OVERLYING THE LOWER SIDE OF EACH BRAKE BEAM RECEIVING SLOT. 